


Paper Planes and Paper Hearts

by gaypoedameron



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Finnpoe - Freeform, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, Oblivious Finn, Pining, and a brief appearance by jessika pava, artist! finn, featuring poe dameron's beautiful ass, my fave space gays, poet! poe, these two will be the death of me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-08
Updated: 2016-02-08
Packaged: 2018-05-19 05:00:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5954527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaypoedameron/pseuds/gaypoedameron
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Finn discovers the joys of art; Poe spends a ridiculous amount of time writing about how in love he is. featuring sappy love poetry by Poe and ridiculously beautiful portraits of Poe by Finn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Paper Planes and Paper Hearts

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to goldsquadronleader and lavalierre on tumblr for being my beta readers :) y'all were an immense help

Poe had spent exactly three weeks and two days sharing his now cramped quarters with Finn. He didn’t mind the lack of space, especially considering how elated Finn had been when he heard that they would be sharing a room. The space was a bit bare, but it felt lived in. There were a few models of x-wings and y-wings on Poe’s nightstand, mechanical bits that Finn couldn’t identify lying on the floor, and clothes strewn by the foot of Poe’s bed. Finn’s former life as a stormtrooper had made him far neater than Poe. Every item of clothing was hanging neatly in his closet, and his nightstand was bare aside from his datapad. 

Both their days were packed full. Poe continued his training exercises, and Finn was receiving medical training as well as going to physical therapy. However, the evenings were free for both of them, and, after dinner at the mess hall with Snap and Jess, they’d return to their quarters together. Most nights, Poe spent an hour or two writing, usually journaling, but he dabbled in other things, like fiction or poetry. Finn spent this time reading, volumes of history at first, then fiction when an appalled Poe found out that he had never even heard of _Amantes en la Antigua República_. To his credit, Finn did try and read through all 11 of the books, but most nights ended with the datapad sitting idly in his lap and gazing fondly at Poe. 

Every morning Poe had the same routine: he’d take a cold shower, set out breakfast for Finn, and wake him before leaving for work. Today had started out a little different. BB-8 was in the shop for repairs, so Poe didn’t have his usual alarm. Sunlight poured through the small window and woke him up. He rolled over, trying to fall asleep again. The moment he realized it was well past sunrise, he threw the blankets off, sat up, and hit his head on the low ceiling above his bed. He swore to himself, then swung his legs out of bed. The small notebook and pencil stub he’d fallen asleep with fell to the ground, but he didn’t notice as he rushed to strip out of his pajamas and put on his flight suit.  


Finn pretended to be sleeping, listening to Poe move around the room. Poe had forgotten to be as quiet as he usually was and had woken Finn up. Finn couldn’t help staring at Poe’s naked back as he rummaged through his closet for underclothes, but he turned away, blushing, the moment Poe’s drawers dropped. He tried not to look but caught himself sneaking glances at Poe’s toned backside. His stomach flipped, and he tried not to think of Poe’s naked body as he closed his eyes. 

“Hey buddy, sorry for the ruckus. I’ll see you tonight,” Poe said softly, his hand gently touching Finn’s head before he rushed out the door. Finn brought his hand to his forehead lightly and he felt his face flush. Maybe he had imagined it, but it felt like Poe had let his touch linger longer than usual. As he stood up to get ready for the day, he noticed the open notebook on the floor beside Poe’s bed. Normally he wouldn’t even think of invading Poe’s privacy, but when he went to put it on the nightstand, he couldn’t resist taking a peek. While inspecting a doodle in the margins of a page, he saw his name in the middle of a line of Poe’s messy handwriting. 

_I wish I better knew how to help Finn. Can tell he misses Rey, don’t know how to fill that gap. Wonder if he knows how much I -_

Finn snapped the book shut before finishing the sentence, his face aflame. He put it on Poe’s nightstand along with the pencil stub before walking quickly out of the quarters. He hoped no one could see the heat he felt in his cheeks. 

“Really though, I don’t know how that sentence ended,” he muttered to himself, eyes to the floor of the corridor. “I shouldn’t have been snooping, I was invading his privacy and - shit!”

He collided with Jessika Pava in his distracted state, nearly knocking her over. 

“You okay, Finn?” she said, worry in her voice. She pressed a hand to his cheek and brought his head up to look at her. “Maker above, you’re burning up!”

“Sorry Jess, I promise I’m fine,” spilled out of his mouth just a little too fast to put her at ease. His eyes suddenly lit up, and he stopped for a moment before asking, “Jess, do you know where I could find paper? Like real, physical paper?” 

“Of course, there should be some scrap paper down by the quartermaster’s office. I’ll walk there with you.” she said, slinging her arm around his shoulder. 

*** 

Finn retreated back to his quarters with a handful of paper scraps and a thick pencil. When he got back, Poe was already lounging in bed, humming softly to himself and reading off the datapad. 

“Have you made it to book five of _Amantes en la Antigua República_ yet buddy? Things are really heating up and I -” he stopped when he saw Finn standing wide eyed and stock still, clutching the papers a little too tight. “What’ve you got there, bud?” 

“Nothing, it’s nothing, just some stuff Jess gave me.”

Poe quirked an eyebrow at him but didn’t say a word. Finn shoved the papers into his nightstand drawer in a hurry, not knowing why he felt so ashamed. 

“I’m gonna hop in the refresher and then go to bed,” Finn announced suddenly, his voice a little louder than he intended. 

“Alright buddy, do you want the lights off?” 

Finn didn’t respond and closed the refresher door behind him. Stripping down, he stepped into the refresher and turned the water on. He wasn’t used to showers like this, but he couldn’t bring himself to savor it. The cool water that ran down his face didn’t quell his thoughts of Poe. Every time he closed his eyes, all he saw was Poe’s face: Poe’s smiling eyes, his toothy grin, the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed. By the time he got out, the lights were down, and Poe was fast asleep, a small wet spot of drool on his pillow. Finn lay awake for hours, studying Poe’s features in the dim light. 

*** 

Weeks went by, and Finn sketched away every moment he had to himself. He started off drawing simple things: flowers and breakfast biscuits and leaves. He hid the drawings whenever Poe came back to the quarters and Poe, beautiful, completely oblivious Poe, never noticed. Finn felt tense all the time; he wondered if Poe felt that too. Nothing seemed to faze Poe. 

One night while writing, Poe stopped in the middle of a thought and heard the faint scratching of a pencil continue even though his hand stopped. He looked up and caught Finn staring. They both froze, pencil above paper. Finn felt his face heat up and he began to reach for the drawer to put his drawing away. Poe jumped to his feet and slammed his head against the low ceiling. 

“Kriffing hell!” he shouted, and Finn rushed over to see if Poe was alright. The moment he stood, Poe darted for the drawing, laughing good naturedly at Finn’s frustration. He waved the paper above his head as Finn tried to grab at it. Breathless with laughter, Poe finally managed to keep Finn at arm’s length so he could inspect the drawing. The smile fell from his face as he saw that _he_ was the subject of Finn’s sketch. 

“Will you please just give it back?” Finn asked, defeat in his voice. Poe didn’t say anything but set the drawing on his nightstand and grabbed Finn’s hand. A hint of a grin tugged at Poe’s lips, and he pulled Finn roughly out into the empty corridor. 

“Poe, where are you taking me?” Finn said, exasperation in his voice. 

“It’s a surprise, buddy!” Poe responded joyfully. Noticing the confusion on Finn’s face, he continued. “You’re gonna love it, I promise.” He hummed quietly, his hand still gripping Finn’s tightly. Finn prayed to the maker that Poe wouldn’t notice his sweaty palms. 

“Okay, we’re here!” Poe announced several minutes later. 

“The commissary? Poe, I fail to see what’s so special about this.” 

“Essa, you still open?” Poe shouted, leaning over the scuffed metal counter. 

“Wipe that stupid grin off your face, Dameron,” came the grumpy response. “What you need from here so kriffing late?”

“Paper! And new pencils. And pens. Oh and Essa, do you have the colored kind?” 

“What, you got a kid I don’t know about that you be buyin’ arts and crafts shit for?” she questioned as she hunted for the items.

“Yes!” Poe said, throwing his arm over Finn’s shoulder and pulling him closer. 

“Kriffing hell Dameron, alright.” Essa grumbled, slamming a sketchbook, a pack of pencils, and some cheap ballpoint pens on the counter.

“The colored ones?” Poe asked hopefully. Essa held his gaze as she pulled a twelve pack of kid’s colored pencils from under the counter and placed them on the stack. 

“That’ll be 150 credits, Dameron.”

Finn interjected, trying to stop Poe as he pulled out his wallet. “Poe, you don’t need to do that, I can -”

“Hey, what’re friends for?” he said with a smile as Essa rolled her eyes. 

“Kriff, Dameron, you’ve got it bad.” she said quietly, swiping Poe’s card. 

Poe blushed. Finn didn’t really understand what Essa meant, but he didn’t want Poe blowing that kind of money on him. 

“C’mon, buddy, let’s get back.” Poe said, reaching out for Finn’s hand again. Finn’s stomach flipped. Poe whistled a joyful tune, holding Finn’s hand in his and the small bag of art supplies in the other. 

“You really didn’t have to do that, Poe.”

“It’s a gift, Finn. Don’t worry about it.” he replied. 

*** 

After that night, Poe was practically obsessed with Finn’s drawings. Every evening, he wanted to see what Finn had drawn that day. After nearly every mission, Poe brought home new kinds of paper, inks, and paints as gifts for Finn. The watercolors were what Finn loved best. He liked the way the color bled into the paper; he liked their potential for softness or for vibrancy. And, more importantly, they seemed to be the best medium to capture Poe in. The way his hair fell just so, or the way his eyes sparkled when he laughed. Finn thought he was captivating. 

“Poe,” he said one night, his voice cracking a little from disuse. He’d been sketching quietly for the better part of an hour while Poe tried to fix a comlink. 

“Yeah buddy?” Poe stopped, screwdriver in hand. 

“Would you sit for a portrait for me? Like with a stoic look on your face and soft lighting and all that?”

Poe laughed softly and agreed; they’d do it tomorrow when there was natural light. 

*** 

Finn spent the better part of the next day bubbling with excitement. He savored every extra moment he got to spend with Poe, and this felt special. Poe left his training exercises early and came back mid afternoon. Bright sunlight was still flooding into the room through their small window. Finn jumped up, excited, and pulled a chair to the middle of the room for Poe to sit in. 

“Just sit however you feel comfortable,” he said, nearly shoving Poe into the chair. 

“Easy there, buddy,” Poe grinned. He stood and turned the chair around so he was straddling it and facing Finn. He crossed his arms on the back of the chair and nestled his chin on them. Finn, who had resumed his place on the bed, looked up to see a small smile on Poe’s lips. Not exactly stoic, but he could work with it. 

Finn screwed his face up in concentration as he began to sketch the underworkings of what would become the painting. Twenty minutes passed in silence until Finn finally felt satisfied with the sketch. 

“Thanks for doing this, Poe.” he said as he got up to grab his paints.

“Hey, no problem, buddy,” Poe responded cheerfully. “You always make me look better than I really do.” He laughed.

“You are handsome though,” Finn said, straight faced. “You’re probably the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.” 

A flush crept into Poe’s cheeks, though why he was blushing Finn couldn’t place. Silence filled the room again, this time a bit heavier than before. 

 *** 

One evening, Finn came back from training in the med bay to find Poe in civvie clothes, sitting cross-legged on the covers. 

“Hey, come here,” Poe said, patting the bed beside him. 

Finn sat atop the blankets next to Poe. They’d never been this close before, pressed shoulder to shoulder, thigh to thigh. Poe cleared his throat and turned so that he was facing Finn. Finn missed the warmth of Poe’s touch already, but he adjusted his position so that they were face to face.

“I. Uh. I figured, since you’re always drawing for me, that maybe I should reciprocate and uh, write you something.” He was met with silence and looked up expectantly at Finn. “Would- would it be okay if I read it to you?”

Finn, who had gotten lost studying Poe’s nose, realized Poe had asked him a question. 

“Yes! Of course, of course, I’d love to hear it.” 

“Okay, uh. Okay.” Poe cleared his throat again, looking down at the paper in his trembling hands. Finn had never seen Poe so flustered.  
“ _Is there a way to say, ‘I feel you in my bones’,_ ” Poe started. His licked his lips and, he met Finn’s eyes momentarily before returning his gaze to the paper.  
“ _Without it sounding too much like ‘I love you’;_  
_Words I should’ve kept to myself._  
_You injected the electricity of your existence into my marrow._  
_Your cosmic presence, earth shattering._  
_I’m not exaggerating, as poets often do,_  
_When I say that I feel the same way looking at the stars in your eyes_  
_As I do mapping constellations above me._  
_You are a shock, a thrill, a drumbeat in my chest that I can’t escape_  
_I am trying to remind myself that you are only a man_  
_But -_ ” 

Poe stopped, setting the paper aside. He took Finn’s callused hands in his own and looked Finn square in the eyes. 

“Finn, I... I love you. More than I’ve ever loved anyone else, and I just... I needed to tell you. If you want to move out or don’t want to talk to me anymore, I understand. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable because of my feelings and I-” 

Poe had already looked away, too embarrassed to continue. Finn felt hot all over. He had an overwhelming desire just to touch Poe, to somehow ease Poe’s apparent anxiety. As soon as Poe had said ‘I love you’, Finn realized that was exactly what he felt towards Poe. But he was frozen, at a complete loss as to what to do. Poe could feel the intensity of Finn’s stare. It felt like hours passed before Finn finally broke the silence. 

“Poe.” Finn’s voice was low.

“Yeah?” 

“Can I kiss you?” 

Poe gulped, unable to form words for a moment. “Y-yeah, of course.” He started to lean in towards Finn, but Finn stopped him with a hand to Poe’s chest. He could feel Poe’s heartbeat through his thin t-shirt. Poe stopped.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’ve never kissed anyone before.” 

Poe reached up to brush his thumb across Finn’s lower lip, pausing when their eyes met. Finn’s grip on Poe’s hand tightened, but he gave a small nod of consent. Poe leaned towards him and their noses brushed. Finn could feel Poe’s breath hot on his lips. His eyes fluttered shut, and Poe pressed his lips to Finn’s gently. Going slowly for fear of messing it up, Finn kissed back. He moaned softly against Poe’s lips. Finn felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest as Poe kissed him a little harder. It was messy and urgent, and Finn felt lost. Poe pulled away, and Finn opened his eyes. 

“Poe… Was that okay? I’m just doing what feels good and I -”

“Finn, that was more than okay.” Poe murmured, eyelids low and voice heavy. “You’re doing great. You want to do it again?” 

He nodded, leaning in towards Poe. 

“C’mere,” Poe said softly, laying on his side. Finn laid down beside him, and Poe pulled him close. His arms wrapped around Finn, holding him tightly. He kissed Finn again. Finn was sure Poe could feel his heart pounding; every other kiss he had to pull back to collect himself. 

“You okay?” Poe asked, worry in his voice.

“Yeah. It’s just -” Finn paused to breathe. “I’ve never been this close to someone I loved so much and it’s… well… It’s a little overwhelming.”

Poe cupped Finn’s cheek in his hand, and Finn leaned into the touch, closing his eyes. 

“Do you really mean that?” Poe asked quietly.

“What, that I love you?” Finn looked Poe in the eyes and flashed a smile. He leaned in, initiating a kiss for the first time that night. “Yeah, I think I do.”

**Author's Note:**

> come scream with me about finnpoe i'm stardusteddameron on tumblr


End file.
